The Resurrection changes everything – week 1
April 5^th Palm Sunday
Reading: Matthew 21 v.1-11
 
For something a little different, go to YOUTUBE where there are lots of hymns/songs that you might like to listen to. Also a video, “Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)”, lasting just over 7 minutes.
 
A few background notes:
 
Jericho to Jerusalem involves a long, hard climb. Jericho 800’ below sea level; Jerusalem 3,000’ above sea level – journey only 12 miles but through hot, dry desert. When you reach the Mount of Olives the sight of Jerusalem is spectacular. For Jews coming from Galilee for a Festival it was even more spectacular. Here God had chosen to signify his presence (Temple); here daily sacrifices were made to assure people of God’s forgiveness and acceptance; here they came to celebrate the great stories of the past; here they came to meet with family and friends. A time of CELEBRATION. And on this occasion it was Passover time with its great hopes of freedom and deliverance.
 
You only spread cloaks on the road for royalty, and you only cut branches off trees for royalty. 200 years earlier Judas Maccabaeus defeated the king of Syria and cleansed the Temple – people waved palm branches and sang hymns of praise. This is Jesus’ royal reception from his massed followers. HOSANNA = Hebrew word of praise to God who was about to save his people.
 
1^st century Jerusalem had a population of some 45,000, a figure which was quadrupled at Festival time, especially Passover. Add to that the many tens of thousands of pilgrims who stayed in tents and shelters around Jerusalem then you have a small city teeming with pilgrims from all parts of the world at that time.
 
What sort of city? “A magnificent Temple on one ridge, rich housing and a sumptuous palace. And, in between, alleys and gunnels, cramped streets and crowded houses; shops and shanty towns and the sound of animals nervously awaiting slaughter. A city of ritual purity and unimaginable filth. A city where incense was burned in the Temple and corpses in the Valley of Gehenna. A city of sunlight and shadows, upper and lower. And into this city a new king is about to enter”.
 
Ice-Breaker
 
Jesus could have entered Jerusalem in a number of ways – possibly straight into the Temple where the Golden Gate (closed for centuries) stands today. But whatever route he took, he would have been engulfed by pilgrims. As Jesus rode over the crest of the Mount of Olives he would have been met by a sea of tents and makeshift shelters spreading far and wide. It was Passover time!
 
Have you ever been in a large, excited crowd or festival? Why were you there and how did you feel?
Try to imagine leading a carnival procession through a festival like Glastonbury (not that I have ever been but I have seen the pictures!) – begin to get the picture?
 
When you come to church on Palm Sunday you are given a small palm cross. What do you do with it after leaving church?
 
Please read Matthew 21:1-11
 
What was the significance of:
 

1. Spreading their cloaks on the road?

2. Waving branches cut down from trees?

3. Welcoming Jesus as “son of David”?

4. Riding on a donkey?

Jesus is making a clear and deliberate prophetic statement; a staged event drawing on various OT prophecies, notably Zechariah 9:9
 
It is worth pausing for a moment before moving on to look at the next verse in Zechariah’s prophecy:
 
I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle-bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
 
There is a note of judgement in the coming of Messiah – this becomes clear in the verses following this passage.
The reality of this event was that Jesus came to Jerusalem to die! The so-called “triumphant entry” of Jesus was quite different from what the crowds were expecting. The crowd wanted a Messiah – Jesus was going to be enthroned on a Roman cross. The crowd wanted to be freed from evil and oppression – Jesus was going to rescue them (and all mankind) from evil in its fullest sense.
 
What do you make of Jesus’ command to the disciples to go to a nearby village and take a donkey?
Had Jesus just arrived in Bethphage (1), in which case he would not have had time to make arrangements? So how did Jesus know the location of the animals and the way the owner would react? Was the owner a follower of Jesus, or someone God had placed at this location and this time for a specific purpose? Challenging questions!!
 
There was another “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem on that same day. What do you know about it?
 
From the opposite direction -opposite in every sense – came the Romans. The huge number of pilgrims at Passover time were all filled with religious fervor; all wondering whether this year was the year of freedom from oppression – all this made for potential trouble. Normally just one cohort of Roman soldiers (500) resided in city, at the Antonia Fortress which overlooked the Temple. It was a token force and security was left to the High Priest and his temple police, a force of some 1,000. But at Passover, Rome came in force.
 
Imagine gleaming armour; burnished leather; cavalrymen on horseback, foot soldiers pushing people aside - and all headed by the imperial eagle on a standard.
 
And if that was not enough, The Governor came to hand over the ceremonial vestments to be used at the Temple. Its symbolism said a thousand words. Here was the political reality; here was real power. We, the Romans, are in charge!
 
From the West, came power and prestige – Rome with all its economic, political and military might and authority.
 
From the East a totally different and yet radical form of power.
 
The kingdom of the world v the kingdom of God.
 
Which king was to be victorious over the next few days?
What do you think most people in Ashtead think of Palm Sunday? Do people even know when it is Palm Sunday? If you were asked to explain the significance of Palm Sunday to a non-Christian in just one minute, what would you say?
For most of us we will not be meeting with other Christians to do this study, so think for a few minutes and actually write out your answer – and remember that you only have one minute.
 
PALM SUNDAY marks the start of Holy Week. A range of activities have been prepared to help us prepare for the glorious events of Easter Day – but at the time of writing (late March) it looks as if these events will not take place. Look out for special arrangements that will be made so that we can still prepare for Easter, even if we are still in self-isolation.
 
PRAYER – look out for further guidance from our church leaders as to what we need to be praying for at this time. There are many resources now on the website and under house group resources.
 
Malcolm Raby